Wine tasting at the Geilweilerhof: discover future-oriented grape varieties!

Wine tasting at the Geilweilerhof: discover future-oriented grape varieties!

On July 8th, the Geilweilerhof in Siebeldingen will be transformed into the center of the wine world. The Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) invites you to a special wine tasting that not only promises culinary delights, but also provides exciting insights into the future of viticulture. The event is led by Oliver Trapp, the institute's director, and offers a unique combination of a tour of the vineyards and tasting of innovative grape varieties. With a maximum number of participants of just 15 people, there will be a personal atmosphere ideal for wine lovers.

The approximately 90-minute event highlights the challenges facing modern viticulture. The focus is on topics such as the development of heat- and disease-resistant grape varieties as well as the use of genomic research, bioinformatics and artificial intelligence. The aim is to develop sustainable and climate-adapted grape varieties that reduce the use of pesticides without compromising on wine quality. As rheinpfalz.de reports, after the tour the historic pavilion becomes the scene of a Wine presentation of six selected wines with panoramic views.

The importance of genomic research

The grape vine is one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world and, according to herder.de, has absorbed numerous genes due to human migration from Asia. A network of researchers has dedicated itself to research into the origins and diversity of vines and analyzed over 3,500 vines. In the future, an exciting genetic project will aim to cross-breed the genetic information from wild vines directly into our cultivated vines. This is intended to make wine varieties more resilient to the challenges of climate change.

The origins of viticulture go back over 11,000 years and fall into a time characterized by climatic changes. Scientists have found that genes from Azerbaijan and Central Asia are even present in medieval vines in southwest Germany, highlighting the vine's important role in past trade. The KIT supports this research with its unique collection of old and European wild vines.

The effects of climate change

Climatic changes pose serious challenges to wine production. Extreme weather conditions, such as late frosts and hot spells, are just some of the problems that winegrowers face. According to landwirtschaft.de, grape ripening has changed significantly in recent decades: Where the vines used to ripen until the end of October, this period has shortened to the end of September. However, this also brings risks, such as the risk of late frosts.

The search for more robust grape varieties that can cope better with the new climatic conditions is becoming increasingly important. For example, fungus-resistant grape varieties (PiWi) are a solution to the fungal diseases caused by wetter cultivation. The cultivation of red wines such as Merlot and Pinot is also becoming more important, while Riesling is being pushed out to more northern regions. The developments suggest that wine connoisseurs and winemakers should value both tried-and-tested and promising varieties.

To attend the wine tasting on July 8th, registration is required by Friday, July 4th. Those interested can register by email at redlan@rheinpfalz.de. In the event of overbooking, the lottery will decide and participants will be informed by email.